Against All Odds
by RG111
Summary: The Joker stared into Katy's eyes as if he was trying to see through them. "You can't possibly be that nice. No one is one hundred percent good." "That's what I used to say about bad people. Then I met you." Katy said, also looking him straight in the eyes with no hesitation. Rated M for some domestic violence.
1. Chapter 1: Birds and Joker

Disclaimer: I do not own the character of the Joker or some of the ideas in this story.

Hey guys! This is my first story, so any reviews would be very helpful!

Chapter 1:

Katy Ellis sat in a corner of the small cafe with her fingers flying over the keyboard of her laptop. She was so concentrated on the speech she was writing that she didn't even hear Trevor at first when he spoke to her. Katy looked up and saw him waiting for an answer to a question she didn't hear.

"Sorry, what was that?" she asked.

Trevor chuckled. "I just asked if you needed anything else. What are you working on this time?"

"I'm proposing a study on the affects that the new gardening pesticides have on the birds of Gotham. I'm presenting my initial findings tomorrow to the Mayor and council."

Katy was a regular customer at Precious Brews Cafe as well as a regular appearance at the weekly council meetings for the city of Gotham. She had gotten to know Trevor, a waiter at the cafe after spending so much time there pondering over ways to make Gotham a happier, safer, and more environmentally friendly city. At the council meetings, Katy was constantly proposing new ideas. Her passion and drive could be a bit of a nuisance to the council members but they all loved her regardless. It was impossible not to love Katy; she didn't have a mean bone in her body.

Recently, she had noticed more dead birds on the streets than seemed natural. Upon further inspection, Katy realized that the birds were always seen near or under nonnative plants. This sent her mind on a whirlwind of possibilities and she began to wonder about the connections. The proposal she was writing today was to ask for an official, government supported study to be set up to discover the connection between the nonnative plants and the bird deaths. She suspected that it had to do with the new pesticides that were being used to support these plants she found out about when she interviewed the gardeners.

Trevor smiled at Katy warmly. "So it's the birds this time, eh? That's my Katy! Always out to protect the animals or less fortunate."

Katy blushed, she didn't handle compliments very well. "Thank you Trevor. I do what I can to help," she said smiling at the table.

Trevor patted her on the shoulder and started to head back to the kitchen. Katy just put her head back into her laptop when three loud bangs ricocheted throughout the cafe. Katy jumped and Trevor dropped the mug he was holding; it fell to the floor and shattered. Katy quickly looked up from her work and gasped as she saw a group of seven or eight men storm into the cafe. Except she wasn't sure that they were men; they were all wearing clown masks. Katy started to shake because she had an intense fear of clowns. The fact that these clowns were all holding guns, and one of them seemed to have just shot one of these guns into the air didn't help her. Katy fought to stay breathing, as she was diagnosed with panic disorder and could feel a panic attack coming on.

No one spoke for a bit, but then one of the clowns cleared his throat. "Ahem. I thought the sign on the door read 'friendly service.' I do not see anyone coming to serve me. I'm hungry!"

Trevor bravely stepped up. "What do you want?"

The clown who had spoken turned to look at him, or at least it appeared that way. It was hard to see his eyes, even through the holes in his mask. However, at that moment the clown reached up and pulled off the mask. Katy tried harder to keep breathing as she saw what was under the mask. Even getting rid of the clown mask didn't get rid of the clown, because underneath was a man with clown's makeup on his face. It was plastered white, black was smudged around his eyes, his hair was scraggly and green, and red makeup extended past his lips so that he was always smiling. Katy realized who this man was. This was the Joker, the most infamous criminal in Gotham, a psychopath who loved stealing, hurting people, and killing.

The Joker said to Trevor "I would-ah-like your special of the day. Actually I would like seven specials. With fries. And sodas."

When Trevor hesitated, Joker suddenly charged him and put his gun to Trevor's head. He screamed "NOW!" As Trevor quickly bolted to the kitchen to get the requested food, the anger from the Joker's face immediately went away and he let out an insane sounding laugh. He looked around and the terrified customers and pouted.

"Well, it seems we are not having fun. Why so serious? Come on. Let's play a little game to cheer up the mood!" He suddenly reached out and grabbed a man sitting in a nearby table. He put the gun in his pocket and instead pulled out a knife. The man started shaking as Katy continued to struggle for air; her chest was getting tighter and tighter. Joker put the knife to the man's face across his lips and spoke to the cafe. "Now, here is my game. Either I kill him right now or someone volunteers to take his place. I call it a social experiment. I am really a psychologist at heart." He laughed as if he just told the funniest joke. He paused and looked around the cafe.

Katy looked at the man and realized he was probably a husband or a dad. He may have a family to get home to or an important job. She had no one, no parents, no sibling... no family of any sort. Who was she to let this man die? Take as deep of a breath as she could while about to have a panic attack she stood up. "I'll volunteer" she tried to say bravely but it came out as more of a squeak.


	2. Chapter 2: Saving Katy with Cellos

She watched the Joker's face and saw his eyes slightly widen in surprised. Without turning his head around to see her, the Joker said "Oh my. What do we have here?" he said out loud.

"You are a lucky man!" Joker shoved the man to the ground and whipped his head around to see who had spoken. As soon as he saw Katy he gasped as the knife fell out of his hand and dropped to the floor. The two of them stared in silence at each other for a bit; Katy looking confused and Joker looking shocked. He recognized her instantly. How could he forget her long, brown hair? In the sunlight it even looked slightly red he remembered. She was taller now, about 5'4". But even from this distance he could see her piercing green eyes, she could stare at you and see straight to your soul. He knew if he got closer he would see flecks of gold in those eyes. _But no!_ he thought to himself. _He was a different man now, not the same boy who had known Katy from before. He couldn't allow himself to care_. _  
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Then, Joker bent down to pick up his knife, put his hand on the back of Katy's neck and pulled her in close. "Do you want to know how I got these scars?" he asked her. However as soon as he said that he dropped the hand from her neck and took a few large steps back, practically tripping over himself. With crazed eyes he screamed "NO, NO!" He then growled and lunged at Katy.

She closed her eyes, waiting for the pain of the knife as it stabbed through her heart, but the pain didn't come. She opened her eyes and saw the Joker with his face inches from her own. He was breathing heavily with his eyebrows scrunched. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"ARGHHH!" he exclaimed. "YOU'RE COMING WITH ME!"Without warned he roughly grabbed her arm and practically dragged her to the door. At this point Katy was really struggling to breath and it felt like an elephant was sitting on her chest. It was lucky the Joker was practically carrying her out the door since she was on the verge on collapsing.

"Let her go!" Trevor had just come back out from the back room with several bags in his hand. However, he didn't get the chance to say anything else because the Joker swiftly pulled the gun from his pocket and fired straight at Trevor without looking away from Katy. Katy tried to scream, she felt it in the back of her throat. Unfortunately, however, her throat had closed up stopping her from breathing and screaming.

Joker nodded his head towards the Trevor, who was clutching his arm where the Joker shot him, and one of the clowns went over to the him, grabbed the bags and they all left the cafe. A few cars were parked (more like abandoned) on the side of the road. The Joker got in the front one and pulled Katy in after him. She ended up sitting on the Joker's lap, in an uncomfortable tight position. Not that she noticed that because, by that time, she was having a full blown panic attack. Her breaths were now short gasps that and her chest was so heavy. As she gasped for air, her body began to shake. The Joker seemed to finally notice what was happening and looked at her surprised.

"You ok bunny?" he asked.

Katy could not respond, and the Joker realized she was having an attack. "STOP THE CAR!" he yelled at the driver. Immediately the driver pulled over but before the car came to a full stop, the Joker had the door open and was jumping out with Katy in his arms. He sat her on the ground, took her face in both hands, and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Hey there, Katy. It's ok, I'm not going to hurt you, ok? Just look at me. Look into my eyes and just focus on them. Don't think about anything other than my eyes and breathing. Everything is going to be ok." Joker was surprised at himself. Since when did he care about his hostages' well-being? But he knew Katy was different. He remembered her, from before his scars both physical and emotional. He remembered her and he cared about her. Not that she would ever remember him, or recognize him if she did. That didn't matter though. All that mattered was that she was ok.

"Do you want to hear a story?" Joker asked Katy. When she didn't respond, he gently shook her and lifted her chin up to meet his eyes. "Hey, Katy. Listen to my voice. I'm going to tell you something about myself, ok? Just focus on my story. When I was a boy, I used to enjoy playing the piano. One day, I decided I wanted to learn how to play the cello instead. The piano is too predictable, the notes are too set in stone. You could plunk the notes but what about playing the notes in between those notes? The cello though, the cello looked beautiful to me. I loved how you could play all the notes, smoothly sliding from one to the other without a plunk, plunk, plunk. I also loved the way I could wrap my body around the instrument as if I was enveloping the music. I could feel the music, you know? And it made me feel. Playing the cello was the only way I was able to feel anything. I can't feel you know? Not truly feel at least. No sadness, no jealousy, no guilt. No true joy either. Except when I pick up my bow and wrap my legs around the wood of the cello and start to create music. Then I can feel all those feelings. I can be a real human."

"Do you still play?" Katy asked without even realizing she had gotten her breath and her voice back. The weight was slowly lifting off her chest but she was too fascinated by the Joker's story to notice. Joker sighed with relief, knowing she was going to be ok.

"No." he said without offering any more of an explanation.

Then he smiled that creepy smile of his. "Time to go know!" He laughed insanely and pulled Katy up off the ground, not quite as rough as he had back in the restaurant.

Katy was shocked by what just happened. Had the Joker actually allowed her to hear something about his childhood? From what she knew about him from the news, no one knew anything about his past. No one really knew who he was. Although still terrified for her life and willing to do whatever she could to escape, Katy found herself interested in learning more about this wanted criminal. She almost hoped she'd get the chance to find out.


	3. Chapter 3: Baby Squirrels and Angels

**Thank you so much for the reviews! If there are any suggestions you have, please feel free to let me know. I will try my best to update as quickly as possible. **

After her panic attack, Joker had pulled Katy back into the car and they continued to drive to the outskirts of Gotham. Katy's attack caused her to be exhausted, especially after she had been staying up late all week working on her bird and pesticide research. She quickly fell asleep in the Joker's lap. Joker looked down at Katy and was glad that she trusted him enough to fall asleep on him. He began to go back to the first memory he had of her.

_Jack (his name before he became the Joker) left the safety of the alley to enter the busy streets of Gotham. He had to be on time today for his job as a janitor at the local park. If he was late __again, his boss wouldn't hesitate to fire him. Jack was in such a hurry, he nearly tripped over a pair of shoes on the ground. As he went to step over them, he noticed those shoes were connected to a pair of legs and those legs were connected to what he presumed to be the rest of the body. However, he couldn't see the person as he or she was halfway into a gutter. As he looked closer, he heard a grunt and suddenly a girl's voice said "Ok, just calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. It's ok! Come here little guy." _

_Her head and upper body were completely in the gutter. As the girl continued to scoot her body farther in, Jack saw her begin to slip. She screamed and Jack grabbed at her ankles and pulled her up. When she was completely out of the gutter she turned to face her savior. Her piercing green eyes landed on Jack's hazel ones. They were so close Jack could see flecks of gold in her eyes. She was pretty short, with long brown hair. She smiled gratefully at him. He was so entranced by her eyes that he didn't notice the tiny animal she held in her hands at first. When she looked down to check on it, Jack noticed it was a tiny squirrel, probably just a baby. _

_"Thank you. You probably saved my life," the girl told Jack._

_"You were doing that to save a squirrel?" he scoffed. "Why?"_

_The girl looked up at him, confused. She opened her mouth to answer and then closed it. She opened it again and spoke, "He needed help. He was stuck." _

_"So what? It's just a squirrel. Who cares?"_

_"He cares," replied Katy. _

_Jack didn't know how to respond to that so he just rolled his eyes. The girl looked upset but then smiled at him anyways. "Well, thank you again. It was nice meeting you."_

_She started to walk away but was stopped when Jack called out, "wait!" _

_When she turned back to look at him, he continued: "What are you going to do with it?"_

_"He's just a baby and I don't see his mama anywhere so I was just gonna take him back home with me. He's too young to survive on his own."_

_"How are you going to take care of it?"_

_"Want to come see?" Katy asked Jack smiling gently._

_Jack thought for a second and then agreed. "I'm Katy by the way. We haven't officially met yet I guess."_

_"I'm Jack."_

_As they walked down the street Jack asked her where she lived._

_"I live a couple of blocks south of here." _

_Jack frowned. He knew that was a bad part of town and didn't like the idea of Katy living there. Why did he care though? He didn't really care about anyone other than himself. He inwardly criticized himself for even thinking about caring about Katy's living conditions. He didn't know why he was following her home either. He didn't care about her or squirrels or anything. Why did he even bother saving her from falling in the gutter? Normally he would have just ignored something like that. It must be because he almost tripped over her feet and was surprised when she started to slip. It was just a reflex. He frowned to himself when he realized that it still didn't explain why he was continuing to hang around this stranger. He had to admit though, he was curious. Did this girl just go around checking gutters for fallen animals? And how did she know how to take care of them? _

_All of a sudden, they were there before Jack even realized they had been walking for several minutes. "This is it." Katy smiled and reached under a mat and grabbed a key. Jack stepped back to look at her house, well it was really more like a shack. It was very run down, the paint was peeling off the wall, wood was splintering, and there was a broken pot with a plant and soil spilling out of it. There was no sign that anyone lived there, or took care of the house at all.  
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_"Will your parents be home?" Jack asked suddenly worried about what they would think about her daughter bringing a strange boy home. _

_"Nah, my dad is usually out all day at work. He doesn't get back until late at night." Katy replied.  
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_Jack assumed that meant she did not have a mother, or at least one who did not live her. He didn't usually care, but for some reason he felt uncomfortable about asking Katy about her mother. He didn't want to accidentally bring up any bad memories. _

_Katy unlocked the door and held it open for Jack. He stepped inside and looked around while Katy shut the door behind them. The inside of the house was about as bare as the outside. They were standing in what he assumed was the living room. It had a single couch with the fabric ripping, some old wooden chairs, a rusty lamp in the corner, and bare walls without a single picture. Beyond that room, there was a small kitchen that he could see had beer cans littered all over the counters and shattered glass in the entrance. He wondered why no one had cleaned it up. There were three doors near the kitchen, two on the right and one on the left._

_"You can wait here while I grab the things." Katy told Jack. "Here, can you hold Rigby for me?" She held the sleeping baby squirrel out to Jack. He hesitated before taking it from her hands. He was worried that he might drop it or squish it and make Katy upset. _

_"You already named it?" Jack said._

_"Yes I came up with it on the way here." _

_Katy went to one of the rooms on the right of the kitchen. A few minutes later she came back out with formula and an oral feeding syringe. She filled the syringe with the formula and asked Jack to open the squirrel's mouth. Jack had no idea what to do, but he wanted to impress her so he started poking at the squirrel's mouth. Katy giggled, "Here, sort of squeeze it open like this." As she was gently opening the squirrel's mouth, it's eyes opened and she put the syringe near it. When he started to drink the formula, Katy sighed with relief. "He's a strong little guy, isn't he?"_

_Jack said, "Do you just have this stuff with you at all times?" _

_"Yeah, I've saved a lot of baby animals before." Katy laughed. "Guess I have a soft spot for them."_

_Jack had a feeling that Katy had a soft spot for everything. She had been so kind to him, something that didn't happen very often. Then again, she was a stranger still and didn't know how unlikeable he was. All his classmates knew him well enough to stay away. Jack assumed if Katy got to know him she would feel the same way. He hoped that would never happen. However, he wasn't sure if he hoped that she wouldn't get to know him better or that if she did she would stay away also. He realized how silly it was for him to even think that. He'd never see her again after today. He cursed himself for caring._

_After Katy determined that Rigby had eaten enough, she stood up to put the syringe away. "Can I use a bathroom before I go?" Jack asked. _

_"Sure, over here." Katy replied and pointed to the other door to the right of the kitchen. "Right in there." _

_Jack went inside as Katy went into her room. She walked over to her dresser and put the syringe and formula in a drawer. She put baby Rigby into a makeshift cage. She covered his body in a blanket to make sure he stayed warm._

_ Her room, like the rest of the small house, was pretty under-furnished. It consisted of an uncomfortable looking bed with a single scratchy blanket on top, a old dresser, and some books. Her walls, however, were not bare like the house. They were covered in drawings, some of people, some of places, but most were of nature. _

_When Jack was done, he stepped out of the bathroom and turned to go find Katy but stopped when something caught his eye. In the bedroom across from him, there was a large dark brown stain on the floor in the center of the room. After stepping closer, he was almost positive that it was a large blood stain. An old stain most likely, but definitely enough blood that Jack doubted whatever had made it had survived. Blood and violence were no strangers to Jack, but he was horrified for Katy's sake. What had happened here? He was beginning to get a very bad feeling about what Katy's life was like. He didn't want to think about it anymore so he turned around and went into Katy's room. _

_He stood in the doorway, unsure whether or not he should come in. She smiled when she saw him. "Thank you so much for your help." _

_Jack looked around at all the pictures. "Did you draw these?"_

_"Yeah, it's just a hobby of mine."_

_"They are beautiful," he said genuinely. _

_Katy blushed and gave a shy thanks. Jack stepped closer to one of the pictures and pointed to it. "Who is this a picture of?" _

_It was a beautiful woman, she appeared to be glowing and had large white wings. Everything about her was __beautiful, even though she had a long scar that went from an eyebrow, down her eye, and across her cheek. _

_"That is my mother."_

_ Katy offered no further explanation and Jack didn't push. "She is beautiful."_

_Katy looked extremely pleased when he said this and Jack didn't know what to say next._

_"Um, I guess I should probably go now."_

_"Oh ok. Well... if you aren't in a rush, you can stay for a bit. I mean, if you want. I can make us some grilled cheese sandwiches." Katy said shyly._

_"Are you sure? You're dad won't mind?" Jack asked. _

_"No, he won't even know." Katy replied._

_"Ok, alright then I guess I can stay for a bit."_

_Four hours later, Jack was leaving Katy's house because he had to make it home in time for dinner. Otherwise he would have stayed forever. He had never had such a good time in his whole life. He and Katy had just talked the entire time. He didn't think he told anyone that much about himself ever in his life. And the more he learned about her, the more he liked and respected her. But he was terrified because she was almost his exact opposite. She was good, kind, and compassionate. He could never care about people or animals the way she did. He knew if she saw him around other people, she would be disappointed, maybe even frightened. He tried his best to keep that side from her. Later that night, as he was falling asleep, he realized he may never see her again. For the first time in a long time, a single tear fell down his cheek._

_Back in her house, Katy was falling asleep as well. She softly cried to herself thinking about how she may never see Jack again. She just hoped her crying wouldn't wake her dad up. Katy didn't think he had too much to drink that night, but stayed as quiet as possible just in case. _

Joker watched Katy sleep and for the first time wished he could go back. He wished he could go back to when he was Jack and she looked at him without judgement or fear. He wanted to be the boy that came by everyday after school to help feed Rigby as he grew up, the boy who held Katy as she cried when her dad hurt her, and the boy who could tell her jokes that would make her laugh even during the worst times. But it was too late. He was not Jack anymore. He didn't care about others, he didn't tell jokes that made people laugh, and he certainly didn't save baby squirrels. He hoped Katy would never recognize him because he couldn't stand to see the pain and betrayal in her eyes.

The car stopped at an old warehouse and he gently shook Katy awake. "Get on out now Bunny, we're hooome!" he cooed. As Katy stepped out of the car and turned her back to him, he cracked a deranged smile that showed just how insane he truly was. He laughed and when Katy turned around to look at him, took out his gun, and shot the driver in the head. Katy screamed and fell over trying to scramble away. Joker had no idea if he was trying to prove to Katy how insane he was, or to himself.


	4. Chapter 4: The Joker's Hideout

**Hey readers! Thank you so much for your reviews, follows, and favorites! I'm going to try to update regularly. Just a quick question for you all: how would you feel if I had some M rated sexual content in further chapters? I can keep it T or K rated if you would prefer. **

A few moments later, Joker and Katy were walking into the old warehouse, the Joker practically dragging her behind him. A few other cars had pulled up behind them bringing the rest of the clowns from the cafe. Katy was surrounded by masks, men, and guns but not of those things frightened her nearly as much a the hand on her arm leading her into a building that she hoped wouldn't be the last place she saw.

Inside was a big room with machinery shoved to the edges. The center was replaced with air mattresses, blankets, pillows, and bags. It was obviously the Joker's hideout for him and his men. Katy made a mental note to remember this information in case she ever got out of here and made it to the police.

The Joker continued to drag Katy along through the big room to some smaller rooms in the back. The one he took her into was a small office complete with a desk, chair, and computer. The Joker had the doorknob backwards though, so he could lock her in from the outside. He had done this to most of the doors in the warehouse that he used as holding cells. This room was the nicest one he had to offer, but he realized he would have to get her something for a bed.

"What do you want from me?" Katy tried to look brave but her voice shook as she spoke.

_To use you as a hostage to get money from the police. To use you for my own entertainment. To hurt you. To torture you. To kill you for funsies. _That's what the Joker wanted to say to Katy. And he wanted it to be the truth. If he started developing feelings of guilt now, he would never be able to recover from everything he did. Joker did not want to change; he did not want to care. But one look at Katy's face, and he couldn't bring himself to say those things to her. They wouldn't be true anyways. So he found himself telling her the half truth instead.

"I don't know. I just thought it would be fun to have such a beautiful woman around." JOker wanted to end there, but couldn't stop the next words from tumbling out of his mouth. "I'm not going to hurt you. You are safe here." With that he left the room without a glance behind him and locked the door so she was trapped inside.

Katy sat down on the chair. She was somewhat in shock from the whole situation. Everything had happened so fast. When she woke up this morning, she would have never thought that she would end up in the Joker's lair at the end of the day. Why her? She thought she should cry but she just couldn't. All she could think about was that she was alive. When she volunteered herself back at the cafe, she was positive that was it. She was going to die. But she didn't. And now she was here, in the home of the most wanted psychopathic killer in Gotham but she was alive. And she shouldn't believe his promise that she was safe. But when she looked in his eyes, she saw truth. Katy had always been very good at reading people. And she didn't see an ounce of insincerity in his eyes; they had spoken the truth. That only left her confused however. Why was she here?

She began to really think about the Joker. He was not exactly what everyone claimed he was: completely heartless. Yes, he killed lots of men. Yes, he had kidnapped her and threatened that man in the cafe. Yes, he was a truly terrible person. So why was the way he was treating her seem so out of character? He had spared her life and never hurt her. Sure, he handled her somewhat roughly when he dragged her around, but it hadn't hurt. He was still gentle with her. And most importantly, the thing she really couldn't figure out, was how or why he had helped her through her panic attack. Katy had suffered from panic attacks for a long time. They could get pretty serious sometimes and she had to be hospitalized twice because of the most serious attacks. This was the first time anyone had been able to calm her down. Usually they would either fade over time or she was pumped with lorazepam (a medication she was given by the hospital in those emergency situations). But a _person_ had never been able to calm her down. She was usually too unreceptive. Somehow, the Joker had managed to calm her down without her even noticing.

When she decided that she wouldn't be able to figure out how he had done that, she began to think instead about what she had left behind. _What is Trevor doing right now? Did he call the police? Of course he did. But would they find me? Probably not. They've been looking for the Joker for years now. Either this spot is very well hidden or he keeps moving around. There is no way they will find me. _

She wondered if her laptop was still in the cafe. Suddenly it hit her: there is no way for her to propose her research now. She was the only one who knew (or maybe cared) about what was happening to the birds. What was going to happen to them? Would they all die? Tears began to fall down her face as she realized that the fate of the birds rested in her hands, but her hands were currently a prisoner to the Joker. There was no way he was going to release her for a day so she could go save the birds. She felt ridiculous for even entertaining the idea.

When the Joker came back into Katy's room, he saw that she had been crying. Concerned, he asked her: "What's wrong?" He assumed she was upset about being kidnapped and scared of him. That is why her answer surprised him so much at first.

"I'm worried about the birds," she sniffled softly. "They have been dying recently and I think it is from a new pesticide that the gardeners have been using."

The Joker, unable to hide his shock, stood there for a moment and then replied, "What? Birds?"

"Yeah. I've been noticing that birds have recently been dying around nonnative plants that are planted around the city. To keep them alive, gardeners need to use stronger pesticides than they usually would use on native plants. But it looks like those pesticides are hurting the city's birds. I was supposed to present my findings to the Mayor's council tomorrow, but now I'm not sure they will ever find out the problem and the birds will continue to die out."

Joker did not know what to say. She was thinking about the birds... _now_? Of all the things... she had just been threatened, kidnapped, watched him kill a man, and had no idea if she was going to be hurt or killed and she was sitting there hoping that the _birds_ were going to be ok? That was the last thing Joker expected. But then suddenly he remembered. This was Katy he was talking to. Of course she was thinking about birds. She hadn't changed one bit.

The Joker, despite himself, told her: "That's stupid. Who cares about the birds?" He stood up to leave. "How were you going to present your-uh-findings?"

"A speech I wrote. It's on my laptop. Why?" Katy asked. She was still scared, but she was no longer terrified of this man.

The Joker suddenly threw his hands in the air and screeched: "A SPEECH!" Then burst out into loud, mad laughter. Just as quickly he stopped laughing and leaned in really close to Katy's face. He was as close as one could get without actually touching. Instead of backing off, Katy stood as still as possible, afraid of his sudden mood changes and not wanting to provoke any anger. "You constantly surprise me. Even though you are so predictable." the Joker said before leaving the room muttering about birds. Katy thought she heard him mention squirrels as well but she couldn't be sure; she was probably just hearing things.

The Joker, back in the large room, yelled at his men: "I NEED TWO OF YOU TO-UH-HELP ME SAVE THE BIRDS!" Two men got up from where they were sitting, playing cards, and walked over to the Joker. The men looked around at one another confused, but no one dared question the Joker. To do so would be suicide.

The two men followed the Joker out of the warehouse, got into a car, and started driving back to the cafe. The Joker could not believe what he was doing for this girl. This girl who did not even know him and he didn't know her anymore either. He was so confused and irritated with himself so when he realized he really only needed one of his men to help him retrieve the laptop, he sliced the neck of the shorter one as soon as he stepped out of the car. The Joker didn't like that guy anyways. Now it was time for him to go somehow get Katy's laptop, get the speech to the council, and force them to follow through with the stupid research proposal. He decided, like usual, to just go with the flow instead of having a plan. And with that, he stepped into the cafe once more and fired several shots in the air.


	5. Chapter 5: Hope

Since it was nighttime and almost closing hours, there were very few customers in the cafe. But the people who were there screamed, like they always did. He sometimes loved to hear the screams; it amused him. But today he had a purpose. "I need to speak with the manager about a certain, uh, computer that was left here yesterday."

Trevor suddenly stormed out of the kitchen and stopped. He look completely outraged. "How DARE you come back here! We will not help you until you bring Katy back. The police will find you, and they will save Katy as well."

The Joker was about to shoot him, but then realized he may be the only one who knew where Katy's laptop is since he obviously knew her. "Well, well,well, what do we have here?" the Joker giggled. "Katy's boyfriend, are you? I don't think so. Not anymore." he spoke softly as if Trevor would be too stupid to understand him.

Trevor looked like he was about to pick a fight when the Joker walked right up to him and pointed the gun at his head. "Why don't you tell me where it is, uh? That isn't so hard. We can even make it a game!" With that he pulled out a knife and put it to Trevor's throat. Trevor looked like he was going to throw a punch, but the Joker continued, "Tsk tsk tsk, be a good little boy and your friend over there won't get hurt. Be a bad boy and big old Santy Clause (that would be me)," he gestered to himself with the knife. "is gonna have to give you a very. bad. Christmas." He growled the last three words.

Trevor looked over and saw the man in the clown mask who had come in with the Joker was holding a gun to a young girl's head. He knew then he would not be able to fight the Joker. At least not today. The Joker smiled as he saw the surrender on Trevor's face.

"I gave it to the police." Joker was about to kill Trevor when he watched as his pupils dilated and breath catch.

"Lying to me... someone's been a naughty boy." Joker quickly made a small slash on Trevor's face. Trevor gasped and Joker said, "Let's try again shall we? Where. is. it."

Trevor hesitated but then looking over at the young girl who had begun to sob, he replied: "In the back."

"There now, was that so hard? Just take me to it and I'll make sure she doesn't get hurt."

"What about Katy? Where is she?"

"Now, now, that isn't part of our little game, is it? The rules are the person with the knife gets to do the asking." With that he stabbed the blade into Trevor's shoulder. Trevor cried out. It wasn't deep enough to kill him, but Joker knew it stung like Hell. "Get me that computer!" Joker spat in Trevor's face.

Trevor, breathing heavily because of the pain, turned to walk into the kitchen. He went into a back room and grabbed the computer handing it to the Joker. "Why do you want it?" he asked him.

"Let's just say a little-uh-birdie told me to grab it." the Joker burst out laughing at his own joke. He snatched the laptop from Trevor and backed out the door with his knife pointed at Trevor the whole time. He and his man ran to the car and jumped in, laughing the whole time.

"Where to now boss?" the driver asked.

"We gotta make one stop home, but then we are headed to the city council. I like you Rick, don't screw this up." the Joker said to his man.

An hour later, the Joker was standing in front of the council.

"I have a-uh-proposition to make with you." the Joker was telling them. The council was seated at a table and all of them looked angry or terrified. By the end of this meeting Joker knew they would all look terrified. Since none of them spoke up, he continued. "I suggest you take a look at this paper I have in my hands and sign it. No worries, I brought copies for everybody to read!" The Joker handed out each of them a copy of Katy's research proposal. "I suggest you sign it when you are done reviewing it. You have another option however." With that the Joker opened his purple coat to reveal a bomb. He pulled on the string threateningly. Looking around the room he saw several men immediately sign the paper and the rest at least picked it up to read it. The Joker patiently waited until there was one man left who had not signed.

The man stood up: "I refuse to sign this. I don't believe you will actually trigger the bomb."

The Joker cackled. "Over course I won't! I don't have to anymore. You look like this job takes a toll on you. Well would ya look at that! Hey everybody here look at John Doe!" Joker pulled out a gun. "Because it's the last time you will ever see him... alive." And with that he shot the man. He looked around the room as if to gain the other men's sympathy and understanding. "All I wanted was to save the birds. Is that really so hard?" He pouted. "I just hate when things have to end like this." Then he burst out laughing because that was obviously not the truth. Joker skipped around the room picking up the papers and turned around to leave.

Before he walked out the door he said one last thing. "Just so you know, I expect this to be enacted by the end of the week. If not, I know where to find Megan, Josh, Casey, Toby... you get the picture?"

"How did you find out about our children? Leave them alone!" screamed one man.

"Oh I will! Do your part and I'll do mine." the Joker smiled, bowed, and left the room.

Back at the warehouse, Katy had eaten, gotten a bed, and some clothes because Joker had ordered his men to give these her. She was currently sleeping when she felt warm breath on her face. She smelled a faint scent of wood and fire. It smelled welcoming. When she opened her eyes, she found herself looking straight into the Joker's smiling eyes.

"Got you an early Christmas present Bunny!" he laughed and clapped. He reached behind himself and grabbed the stack of papers, dangling it in front of her face. Confused, Katy took them from him and when she saw it was her proposal she looked up in shock.

"That's not the surprise Bunny!" the Joker chuckled. "The real present is on page two."

Katy flipped the page over and saw the signature of a city council man. She sat up instantly and with wide eyes flipped through them all. All of them had been signed!

"What...? How did you do this?" she asked the Joker looking up at him. He had stood up and was watching her with glee like a child getting a present instead of a criminal giving one.

"Merry Christmas!" he said for an answer and turned to head outside. Suddenly he felt a hand grab his hand. He turned around to see what Katy needed and she flung herself at him. At first he was going to shove her away, then realized she wasn't attacking him. She was giving him a hug.

A hug? Was this really happening? She was actually choosing to touch him without being forced! He couldn't believe his luck. He didn't think he would ever feel like this. His stomach hurt somewhat, but in a good way. For the first time in a very long time, he was nervous. Yet, before he knew it he was wrapping his arms around her too and melting into her embrace. He couldn't believe how good it felt to hold her in his arms. He was lifting her up slightly so that her mouth was right next to his ear. He heard her whisper, "thank you," before releasing him. His breathing was slightly heavier and he didn't know what to say. He turned and left without another word. Outside her door, he locked it, and leaned against the wall breathing heavily. These feelings were all very strange and new. What was happening to him? He knew he better get rid of her before something bad happened.

Inside the room, Katy was smiling for the first time since she arrived here. She knew Joker probably had some other intentions and she shouldn't trust him. Yet, when he held her in his arms, it had felt so comforting and safe. The Joker was the farthest thing from safe and she knew she had to stay cautious and on guard. But for a moment, a very brief moment, she allowed herself to hope.


	6. Chapter 6: Nightmares

The next few days passed without Katy seeing the Joker at all. She was given three meals a day from one of the Joker's men. When they came into her room; they dropped off the food and left without a word.

All Katy could do was sit around all day and think. She thought a lot about the birds at first, then the Joker, and then what her future might be like. She wondered if she would ever escape or get rescued. However, when all those thoughts were exhausted she began to think about her past, which was something she tried to avoid thinking about as much as possible. But being coped up in this small room without any sunlight, her thoughts seemed to no longer be under control. Memories of her father and her mother came back to her as if she was experiencing them all over again.

The worst times for her were the nights, when she had absolutely no control over her thoughts. Her nightmares became so bad that she tried to stay awake as long as she could until exhaustion overtook her and she passed out. But it seemed like almost as soon as she did, the nightmares would occur and wake her up in a fit of screams. She would find herself with bloody fingernails because she had clawed at the walls and sometimes herself. Cuts trailed up and down her arms from these night time fits.

The Joker, meanwhile, was staying as far from Katy as possible. He considered freeing her, but he wasn't ready to move yet and she knew where his hideout was. At least that was the excuse he gave himself for his actions. He refused to believe it was because he couldn't bare the thought over never seeing her again. Although he was doing a pretty good job of that anyways, even though she was usually in the same building as him.

As for Katy's fits, the Joker didn't know about them because his own room was too far away for him to hear her. So he was shocked, and quickly angered, when he overheard one of his men complaining about how she kept them up at night.

The Joker and his men had all been sitting around after a recent heist, eating lunch when he overheard the conversation. Immediately his temper flared and he stood up slowly, turning to face the man who had complained about Katy's screams.

"What did you say?" Joker asked.

The man, seeing the rage in Joker's face, knew not to ignore him but was also terrified of responding. He decided to take the lesser risk and explain what was going on. "It's the hostage, boss. She is just somewhat loud at night. Not that it's really a problem! I was just saying..." he trailed off.

"What do you mean loud?" Joker turned to all his men and suddenly screamed. "DID ALL OF YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS AND NO ONE THOUGHT TO TELL ME?"

When no one responded, Joker pulled out his gun and pointed it at the first man who spoke. "We didn't know it was a big deal boss. It's just nightmares I think." he squeaked out.

The Joker laughed suddenly, but this sudden mood shift frightened the men even more than his anger had. They knew what was coming next. "Oh yes. Just silly wittle nightmares." Joker cooed. He walked over to the man and pulled out his knife. No one else made a move to help him. Joker put up the knife to the man's throat. The man started to cry and sputter. "Sh sh shhh," the Joker hushed. "Don't you worry. I'm just going to tell you a story. It's story time! Nothing to worry about. Want to know how I got these scars?"

The man closed his eyes, he had seen this happen so many times before. He knew what was going to happen and started to sob. "Please, no..." he begged. But the Joker cut him off by putting his knife in the man's mouth.

"No? No story? But that's the best part! Ok, I guess I can just fast forward to the end if that's what you really want."

The man moaned as the Joker said "Why. so. serious?" and ripped the knife through the man's cheeks as he screamed. He fell to the ground with a permanent smile and stopped breathing moments later.

That night, Joker went to Katy's door. After a few hours, the man's story was confirmed as she began to scream.

Katy thrashed around in her bed. Her father was standing over her crying and asking for her forgiveness. But he still had the blood on his hands, the blood of her beloved mother. As she looked up at her father, tears started to fall down his cheeks, but they weren't made of water. They were blood tears. He began to shake and opened his mouth as blood came pouring out of every part of him, covering her. She was going to drown in the blood of her parents.

She suddenly bolted up in bed, sweating and screaming: "JAAAAAACK!" She looked over to her right and screamed, clutching her sheets for protection and drawing them up around her as if they could hide her.

The Joker saw the terror in his eyes, and it ripped through him like his knife. She was looking at him as if he was coming to hurt her. She had screamed his name but now he knew it was in fear. Of course she was afraid of him; how could she not be? He was a freak and a monster and she would never be able to get over her fear of him and her hatred. Except as soon as the pain of that realization hit him and he was about to leave, her face changed.

Katy got over her initial shock at waking up to someone kneeling right beside her bed and cried, "Oh Jack!" She grabbed his coat and pulled herself in close, pushing her face into his chest sobbing.

The Joker realized that she hadn't screamed his name in fear, but because she needed his comfort. How she had figured out that he was Jack, he had no idea, but right now all he wanted to do was to take her pain away. He held her in his arms, and stroked her hair whispering reassuring words to her. He let her know that he was here for her and that she was safe.

"Don't leave me," she whispered. "Please," she said that last word with a sob.

"Of course not, I'm here. I'm not leaving." the Joker reassured her. He then picked her up and slid her over on the bed, drawing her onto his lap.

Katy tried to control her sobs and focus on her breathing, the sound of his voice, the smell of him, and the feel of him wrapped around her. Slowly, she was soothed to sleep by the beating of his heart she could hear with her ear pressed against his chest. Joker was unsure what to do at first. He didn't want to leave her, but he didn't want her to freak out when she woke the next morning. He decided he would stay until the sun started to rise, and then sneak out in the morning. Trying to make sure she was comfortable, he laid down and she sprawled herself over his body in her sleep, holding on to his arms tightly.

The Joker laid there, deep in thought, while she slept peacefully on top of him. She was so light, yet her presence in their current position made him extremely warm. His heart felt lighter than it ever had before. He knew that was impossible but that was how he felt. Joker looked down at Katy and realized that it was too late. It had been too late from the moment he recognized her in the cafe. Somehow, Katy had made her way back into his life and there wasn't anything he could do about it anymore. Even getting rid of her physically wouldn't be able to help him get rid of her in his heart. She was so very present in his thoughts and his actions. In the past couple of weeks, he had mostly stopped killing and stopped hurting people. There had been a few exceptions, but he was not nearly as obsessed with causing chaos as he had been before. He could never change completely, he knew that. He enjoyed causing pain too much; it was just a part of his nature. But now he had another thing to live for. Katy deserved better than him; he knew he could never expect her to feel about him the way he did about her. And he would never try to push her into anything. But he still needed her in his life. Maybe one day they could even be friends, even if it could not be anything more.

With these thoughts, he accidentally drifted off to sleep forgetting that he needed to leave before she woke in the morning. So when she began to stir and woke him up, he had a brief moment of panic before getting distracted by the beautiful way in which she slept. Well, distracted until she opened her eyes and looked at him in shock.

"What the..." she said.

**Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think in the comments! (Any and all opinions are welcome). Next week is finals' week for me, but I should be able to still update pretty regularly. **


	7. Chapter 7: Escape

Waking up fully, Katy bolted up and then groaned as she got a head rush. She closed her eyes, waiting for the spinning to stop.

The Joker sat up concerned. He was about to ask if she was alright when she turned around. He saw she was blushing; it was actually pretty cute. Except then he was worried that she was embarrassed that he was in her bed. Or maybe even mad. And he couldn't deny it anymore, that it would bother him if she was mad at him. So when she whispered, "I'm sorry," to him he was shocked into silence for a second.

"W...why are you sorry?" he stuttered out, and mentally face palmed himself for stuttering.

Katy felt extremely nervous. She couldn't believe what she did last night! Did she call him Jack? _Oh no! _she thought to herself. _I did call him Jack... what must he think of me? I practically threw myself at him! _But when she looked over at the Joker, she saw that he didn't seem annoyed or angry. In fact, he seemed worried.

"I didn't mean to call you that," she confessed quietly. "Jack, I mean. I'm sorry. He was an old friend and I guess I was so tired I thought you were him for a second. And I'm sorry I grabbed you. I was afraid. It won't happen again."

Joker thought for a minute. "What happened to Jack?" Of course he knew, but he just wanted to see what she thought happened.

"What do you mean what happened?" she asked suspiciously.

"You said an old friend. So what happened?" the Joker demanded.

Katy didn't like to talk about it because it still hurt, but she decided that it was too dangerous not to reply to the Joker. His moods were too unpredictable. It was best to answer him directly without revealing too much.

"He was a boy I used to hang out with. I'm sure he had lots of other friends, but to me he was my best friend. My only friend really, since I couldn't go to school much in those days." Katy, despite having decided not to reveal too much about herself to the Joker, found herself rambling. "We would spend days together. I met him when he helped me save Rigby, our squirrel. He saved me from getting stuck in a gutter." Katy smiled at the memory. "He knew more about me than anyone else. I like to think I knew him pretty well as well. Things were better than ever with him around." Her smile faded away at this.

"So what happened to him then?" Joker asked.

"He left me." Tears welled up in Katy's eyes.

The Joker was shocked. That was how she interpreted what had happened? All these years, she assumed he had abandoned her? He thought about it further though, and was even more shocked when he realized she was right. He had justified his actions in his head because he couldn't stand the guilt. But in reality he had left her. Of course he hadn't meant to hurt her. Quite the opposite in fact. In reality, he couldn't really remember what had happened that day. All he knew was that he had killed someone. He couldn't remember the reason; in fact, he couldn't remember if their even was a reason. What he did remember is after driving the knife through the man's heart; he decided he could never see Katy again. She was too good for him. She lived to protect life. She had the deepest empathy and compassion for all things living. How could someone like her ever be with someone like him? It wasn't right. They were complete opposites. He had just done the very thing she spent her life trying to prevent; he had taken someone's life. It was not fair for him to drag her along with him if he was a killer. In his mind, he had ended their friendship for her. But he never realized how it would look from her perspective.

"He shouldn't have done that," the Joker told Katy. Then he got up and walked out of the room without another word, leaving Katy extremely confused.

Outside her room, he realized that he had to do something to stop feeling the guilt. He wasn't used to regret. His natural defense mechanism was to go on a heist. He gathered some men together and headed out. He knew it was probably dangerous for him to go out right now. He wasn't in his usual frame of mind.

Katy wasn't sure how to react. For being the worst criminal in the world, the Joker seemed pretty caring to her. And he had spent the night in her bed, without even trying to touch her. However, she still didn't want to stay a prisoner here. So when she realized she never heard the click of the lock, she also realized this may be her one chance of escape. Katy wanted to make her escape before lunchtime when one of the Joker's men would come in to give her a meal, but she didn't want to go to soon and run straight into the Joker. And she certainly wasn't about to miss it. She waited about an hour and then quietly walked over to the door.

Katy opened it as slowly and quietly as she could and peered outside. The coast appeared to be clear. She stepped out into the hallway and made her way towards the large room. It seemed like a dangerous place to go, but she didn't know if the other way was a dead end. When she got to the end of the hall, she put her body up against the wall so she could attempt to look into the large room to see if the coast was clear. It was. She stepped into the large room and started quickly making her way towards the exit when she heard voices approaching. Katy quickly ran into the nearest room and shut the door behind her. She barely made her way into the small closet when two of the Joker's men entered the room.

Katy's mind raced trying to think of a solution, but couldn't come up with anything. It sounded to her like the two men had just sat down and were talking. What was she going to do? She hoped that they would leave soon or else she could be stuck in their when the Joker and the rest of the men got back. Then there would be no hope for her escape. And if she was caught trying to escape, who knew what trouble she would be in.

Katy strained to try to hear the men's conversation but it was muffled. Soon they stopped talking. After a long time, she wondered if they maybe fell asleep. Should she risk trying to escape?

Except as soon as she considered it, she heard a commotion outside. There were several loud bangs, slams, and shouting. She heard one of the men say: "What the..."

Katy thought it sounded like they both went outside. Slowly she opened the door and saw the room was empty. She took three steps out of the closet when a door on the opposite side of the room opened and men poured in. She froze in fear of getting caught, but no one seemed to notice her. That was when she saw that the men were carrying someone. When she looked closer she realized it was the Joker! He appeared to be unconscious and was dripping blood. The men who were carrying him laid him down on a mattress and started taking off his coat and shirt.

Katy was very aware that she should run. This distraction was perfect for her escape. None of the men had even commented on her presence, even the ones who had glanced in her direction. But her feet were frozen into the ground. Then, to her great despair, she began to feel the tightening of her chest. This was the absolute worst time for her to have a panic attack. She dragged her feet to the closest exit, needing fresh air. She was going to die. She was sure of it. All she could see flashing before her eyes was the Joker's unconscious body. Dead? Dying? She didn't know. He looked so pale... well that could be the makeup he wore. But then there was the blood. And he didn't seem to be breathing! Where was she? Why couldn't she see anything? Was the Joker dead?

Her brain was a fast-paced stream of thoughts that she couldn't turn off. Until suddenly there were no thoughts. Just a white, blinding pain in her head that spread from her chest. She collapsed onto the floor and stopped breathing. Her last thoughts were of Jack, her childhood friend, but suddenly his face faded into the Joker's. Then everything went black.

**I don't know the comics as well as _The Dark Knight_, but I took the idea of the Joker not quite remembering his past from them. _The Dark Knight_ doesn't give any information (at least known to be true) about his past. In the comics, however, the Joker doesn't remember his past. **


	8. Chapter 8: At the Hospital

**Thank you so much for the reviews and sticking with me during this long week! Rasha007 really made a good point in the reviews; I was not clear at all why the Joker remembers Katy, but not the rest of his past. To clarify, he doesn't remember much of his childhood (probably because of trauma or bad memories). However, he does remember his late teen years on. And I want to really thank Leslie Lili for all her suggestions and kind words! It really keeps me going :)**

Katy's eyes fluttered slightly as she began to wake up. What happened? Where was she? Her hearing came first and she heard a beeping noise and some muffled movement and voices. Then came the smells. Chemicals? It smelled like her doctor's office. Then, her eyes fully opened and she realized she was in a hospital. She had an IV attached to her arm and electrodes that were attached to her had cables running to a heart monitor screen. Well, it was good to see that her heart was still beating. Back at the warehouse she thought that...

Wait! Back at the warehouse! How did she get here? She reached out and pulled at a curtain surrounding her bed. "Nurse?" she called out. Except she didn't see any nurses. She didn't see any doctors. She didn't see any other patients. The only people that were there were men in clown masks. They all turned to look at her. She bit back a scream.

One of the clowns walked over to her and put his finger to his mask lips. Then chuckling, he removed the mask to reveal one of the Joker's men. "Hey there sweetie. How you feeling?"

Katy meant to ask what was going on and where she was, but she found herself saying: "Is the Joker ok? He was hurt. What happened?"

The man chuckled. "Slow down there sweetie. I'll explain everything to you, just shut up and listen," he said with a deep voice.

"We are in a hospital. You collapsed, Joker said it was probably a panic attack. We got you a whole hospital ward and a few doctors and nurses to take care of you. The hospital thinks there is a gas leak on this floor so it was evacuated. We are holding these guys hostage until you are healed. They are helping the Joker out too actually. Joker said to make sure you woke up fine and for me to explain what's going on to you. He also said don't let you make another run for it." he laughed at this, but then got a worried look in his eyes. "He's not looking too good."

It was then that Katy noticed a man on the bed next to her. She didn't notice him at first because he hadn't moved an inch since she opened her eyes. It was the Joker, but he didn't look like the Joker she was used to seeing. His make up was gone and he was wearing a simple t-shirt. She couldn't see his pants, but she was surprised to see he wasn't wearing his trademark purple coat.

"Is he ok?" she asked. He seemed to be breathing and his heart monitor was beeping. But he looked so pale, even without the white makeup.

"Yeah he was shot" the man with the deep voice said. "A couple of times. Doc here," he indicated to a trembling and sweating man in scrubs. "He pulled the bullets out, but the boss still hasn't woken up since he got you here."

"Got me here?" Katy questioned.

"Yeah, he woke up back at the warehouse and demanded to see you. When you weren't in your room he went looking for you. Don't know how, he was bleeding so much it was hard to tell where the blood was coming from. He found you out front collapsed on the floor. He carried you here. Well, I drove but he carried you all the way into the hospital and demanded you get immediate attention. As soon as you were being taken care of he collapsed himself and hasn't woken up since."

Katy tried to process this new information. The Joker had saved her life? And not only that, he had risked his own life to do so? Even though it was obvious she had been trying to escape him? Katy looked over at him again. The man was right, he really didn't look too well. She tried to convince herself that she wanted him to be ok so she could thank him for saving her life or to satiate her curiosity and demand more answers as to why he saved her. But in reality, she just wanted him to be ok. She had to admit, she would be sad if he died. Her eyebrows crinkled in frustration.

The Joker's man turned away to talk to someone, and Katy began removing the electrodes. She then took out the IV and moved to get out of bed. "Um, miss? Excuse me miss..."

Katy turned to a nervous looking nurse. "Katy. I'm Katy. And I know what you're going to say. I'm fine, really. Just a panic attack. Happens all the time."

"Really Katy, it's probably best you stay in bed for a bit and relax." the nurse said.

The Joker's man looked over at Katy and saw what she was doing. "Hey, sweetie. Listen to the nurse. Boss would kill me if anything happened to you."

"I'm fine everyone, really!" Katy got out of the bed. No one moved to stop her. It seemed that the Joker's men weren't very obedient without direct orders from the Joker. Katy walked over to the Joker's bed. A doctor was checking his pulse.

"How is he?" she asked.

The doctor looked mad, but was obviously too afraid to disobey the clowns who were standing near him with guns. "He seems to be getting a bit better," he said through gritted teeth.

"Thank you doctor..."

"Reynolds. Dr. Reynolds."

"Thank you Dr. Reynolds," Katy leaned in closer and lowered her voice. "I apologize for this happening to you. I know what it's like to be held against your will. I'm afraid being a hostage myself I have very little say in what goes on here, but I will do my best to make sure no harm comes to you."

The doctor looked surprised for a moment and then relaxed a bit. "I appreciate that," he said. "I'll try my best to help you as well."

Of course Katy didn't want anything to happen to Dr. Reynolds. She didn't want any of these poor nurses and doctors to be hurt by the Joker and his men. But if she were to be honest with herself, she also wanted to lessen his anger so perhaps he would do a better job on the Joker and not "accidentally" let him die. Her words did seem to have the affect she wanted. Dr. Reynolds looked back at the Joker with more determination. He cleared his throat.

"I'm going to try an isotonic sodium chloride drip through his IV," he told the clowns surrounding him. "The patient my be dehydrated and respond to sodium and water. If not, it can't hurt him."

The clowns looked at each other, unsure whether or not to believe him, but then decided they didn't really have another option. "Get another doc for confirmation," one of them grunted.

When another doctor agreed that this is standard procedure for unconscious or comatose patients, the clown in charge gave his consent.

Dr. Reynolds started the IV and walked over to join the other doctors and nurses to wait.

Katy tried to be patient, but it seemed like it wasn't working. "How long does it usually take?" she called over unable to keep the worry out of her voice.

"It's not necessarily going to work. If he's dehydrated it should help. Hopefully though, it will help him wake up within the next few hours," Dr. Reynolds replied.

Katy looked at the Joker's face. He looked so peaceful. His scars that formed a permanent smile didn't phase her. She looked around and hoped no one was paying too much attention and took the Joker's hand.

Katy spoke softly to him to prevent being overheard. "Hey there Joker. It's Katy. I'm feeling better, see? Out of bed, walking, talking. Feeling great. I just want to thank you for bringing me here. You saved my life, and I won't forget that. I know what people say about you. And I know some of the things you've done. But you don't feel guilt or empathy. And that's not really your fault. Despite it all, you've been nothing but merciful and kind to me. You saved the birds, and I'll forever be indebted to you for that. So please Joker, get better. I don't want you to go. I don't want you to... leave me. So do me this one last kindness and get better."

Katy started to leave but suddenly felt his hand squeeze her's lightly. He shifted a bit in the bed and moaned a bit. Then his eyes started to flutter. Katy laughed and grabbed his hand with both of her hands and held onto them tightly. "Joker? You're ok, you're safe. We're in the hospital, but you're fine. Can you hear me? Squeeze my hands again if you can hear my voice."

The Joker did squeeze her hands, a bit tighter this time. His eyes opened fully and he instantly focused on her face. He tried to speak but his voice was gravely and cracked.

"Don't speak yet," Katy said. "Here, have some water."

She gave him the glass that was on the nightstand next to him. The Joker downed the entire glass in one gulp. "You're alright," he commented.

"What? Me? Oh, yes I'm fine. How are you feeling?" Katy asked.

"I'm good. How long have I been out?"

"About a day," Dr. Reynolds came up behind Katy. "I'm gonna check some of your vitals if you don't mind."

Dr. Reynolds did not want to get near the Joker, he knew the stories. But it seemed the better alternative to getting shot by the clown holding a gun to his face just then.

Katy moved over so he had room to work. As he was checking the Joker, the Joker never took his eyes off Katy. He looked confused.

"Everything looks good to me," the doctor said. The Joker instantly sprang up, ripped off his own equipment and stood up. However, a wave of dizziness caught him and Katy grabbed onto his arm to steady him. He looked even more confused by her actions but didn't say anything.

Joker reached for his gun and pulled it out pointing it at Dr. before he pulled the trigger, Katy shouted out: "NO!" The Joker stopped and turned to look at her. "He saved your life. And mine. Please, don't," she begged. The Joker looked conflicted for a moment and then seemed to reach a decision.

"Let's go," he snapped at his men who followed him to the stairs. Outside, a bus was waiting and they all got in and drove away from the hospital. It was only as they were driving away that Katy realized she had walked with her arm protectively around the Joker all the way to the bus. And she had gotten on the bus. And had willingly gone back to her "prison." She sat up front, sharing a seat with the Joker and leaned away trying to put some distance between them. Katy didn't hate the Joker anymore but she wasn't sure she wanted to explore these... feelings she was developing.

It was then when she looked over and saw a tear fall down the Joker's face. Suddenly she realized he looked very familiar... then it hit her. Jack.


	9. Chapter 9: Joker's Hospital POV

**This chapter is for Leslie Lili. It was her great idea that inspired me to write it.**

Joker's POV

(After leaving Katy's room)

It was his fault, or I guess Jack's that Katy was so hurt. Since this was the first time he had ever felt guilt for his actions, the feeling threatened to overwhelm him. A heist was the perfect distraction.

"MOVE OUT!" he barked at the men lounging around eating lunch. "You two, stay here and watch the prisoner."

He started out of the room and the rest of the men followed him, running to go start the cars. "Where we headed boss?" asked one of Joker's head men.

"We are going to pay the city council a little, uh, visit. To save he birdies! Ha ha hee hee!" The Joker giggled and clapped as he skipped around to the driver's seat. He opened the door and plopped himself inside. Rolling down the window, he yelled out: "HERE WE GO!"

The Joker was driving like a lunatic causing the men in his car to hold onto whatever they could find. He was bouncing around in his seat and swerving into all the lanes. Red lights and stop signs meant nothing to him as he zipped around the other cars, his men in the other cars following as closely behind him as they could. As they got to the front of the City Council Office, the Joker slammed on the brakes causing the car to spin around. He laughed hysterically as his men stumbled out of the car with shaking legs.

"What's going on with boss today?" one of them, Devon, asked.

"Dunno. Seems more off than usual," another one, Seth, replied.

Usually, despite his claims saying otherwise, the Joker planned his heists a bit. While he preferred chaos, he usually preferred chaos that gave him the advantage. This decision seemed to be completely spontaneous and impulsive, which worried his men. But none of them dared speak up.

They had all put on their clown masks while in the cars and now stormed into the building, guns first. Gasps and screams followed them, but the Joker simply ignored them, looked at the sign that designated the floors, and pushed the elevator up button. He rolled back and forth on his feet humming as if he was heading to a casual business meeting. When the elevator arrived, the clowns piled in and the door shut behind them. The Joker chuckled to himself when he realized how similar this situation was to the whole clowns jamming into a car stereotype. When they reached the fourth floor, the Joker stepped out and looked around. He licked his finger, stuck it in the air, and pointed to the left. "This way gents."

Joker spun around on his feet and skipped off in that direction. The clowns made eye contact with each other and shrugged. They followed the Joker. Seth knew that the Joker's impulsivity might get him in trouble, so he kept his gun and wits at the ready.

They entered an office with a bunch of cubicles, but it was empty. Except in the back of the room, there was a smaller room with glass walls. The council was clearly having a meeting.

Joker went to the back, burst through the doors, and entered the meeting room. "TA DA!" he yelled out. What he wasn't prepared for were the security guards. And those security guards were told to shoot first and ask questions later. It was lucky for Joker that the element of surprise benefited him and only one guard got a shot out before the Joker threw the smoke bomb into the room. A white hot pain in his abdomen caused Joker to fall over clutching his side. Seth shot the security guards before the smoke filled the whole room while the rest of the men dragged the Joker out and slammed the door of the meeting room, trapping the council inside with the smoke as their screams filled the air.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," the Joker laughed loudly and then proceeded to pass out. Seth quickly assessed the damage and motioned for several men to pick up the Joker to bring him out. Most of the men didn't care about the Joker, but knew that he was their source of income. No one else could pull off the heists he did. They couldn't get rich without him. So they two of them grabbed the Joker under the arms and lifted him up while two others grabbed his legs to do the same. The gang of clowns ran out and back to the cars. They threw him in the backseat of one of the cars and some of the men climbed in after him. The rest got into their own cars and they sped off.

When they got back to the warehouse, the Joker still hadn't woken up. They had applied pressure to his wound and his bleeding was slowing down, but he had already lost a lot of blood. The men carried him inside. Seth looked over and saw the hostage standing in the room with a deer in headlights look like she had been caught red handed. Then he realized she probably had. If she was outside her room she had probably escaped somehow. He shook his head and knew that she wasn't the priority right now. He turned back to the Joker. When he looked back, she was gone.

The Joker started to move and opened his eyes. "What happened?" he asked.

"You were shot. You'll probably be fine, but maybe we should get a doctor here to check you out boss," Seth replied.

"Oh yeah. Maybe I should just go to the hospital instead. Or even better, why don't I just go straight to jail?" The Joker rolled his eyes.

"Alright, I'm gonna go find that girl. You rest up boss."

"Girl? What girl?" The Joker quickly sat up and clutched his side pain.

"The hostage girl. I just saw her standing over there. Think she's trying to escape. She can't have gotten far yet. I'll go check."

"YOU LOST HER?" the Joker screamed. He started to stand up.

"Boss I really think it's best you don't move right now," said one of the men.

"Where's my gun so I can shoot him?" said the Joker. Ignoring the pain he stood up and dragged his feet over to the entrance of the building. Opening the door he stepped outside. He was about to scream out Katy's name, when he saw her on the ground a few feet away. As soon as he saw her passed out, he knew what had happened. He ran over to her still body and shook it. When she didn't respond he picked her up, even though the pain ripped through him like he was being shot all over again. "Come on now Katy. You better not die, you hear me? Don't you dare." Seth came outside and the Joker told him to gather the rest of the men. "We're taking her to the hospital. I have a plan. Go get me a hoodie and tell the men to leave hide their masks for now. We're going to pretend to be normal people for now."

Seth quickly went to get the rest of the men and relate the message. The hostage girl had looked pretty lifeless in the Joker's arms. He hoped she wasn't dead or wouldn't be soon. He had a feeling that would set off a madness in the Joker even he had yet to see.

The Joker explained his plan to take the whole wing of the hospital pretending to be plumbers looking for a suspected gas leak. He fought to stay conscious on the ride over. He moved to carry Katy inside, but Seth put his hand on the Joker's arm. I can get her in there with quicker and with less suspicion." he reasoned.

Joker was irritated but knew Seth was right. He still had his makeup on and was easily recognizable. Seth ran inside with Katy and the Joker's heart broke. He prayed it wouldn't be the last time he saw her. As for the rest of his plan, he and the gang headed to the hospital themselves. They would clear a wing for Katy and then sneak her up when she was stable.

l-l

The plan was working and the floor had been evacuated. Several doctors and nurses were being held hostage to attend to Katy when she got up here. However, the Joker suddenly felt the extent of the gunshot wound and the loss of blood. He grabbed onto a table as a wave of dizziness hit him.

"Boss, you should have the doc check you out too..." said Devon.

The Joker didn't get a chance to protest because he collapsed.

l-l

The next thing he knew was slowly regaining sight and seeing Katy looking over him with a concerned look in her eyes. No, that couldn't be right. Unless he was dead. That was possible.

"Joker? You're ok. You're safe." Katy reassured him. Joker needed to find out if she was ok too. Was he dead? Or was she really concerned about him? He needed to know if she was ok, but apparently his voice was gone because she didn't seem to understand him when he asked.

"Don't speak yet. Here, have some water." Katy held out a glass to him. He realized how dry his throat was and drank it all in one gulp. He tried speaking again.

"You're alright."

"What? Me? Oh, yes I'm fine," Katy looked surprised that he had asked. Why would she be surprised though? Why was she being so kind to him?

"How are you feeling?" Katy continued.

_Like shit, _he thought."I'm good. How long have I been out?" he said out loud.

Katy opened her mouth to speak but then shut it looking like she didn't know how to answer that question.

"About a day," said some mole-like man in a white coat. Joker didn't like him. And he didn't like the way the man came so close up behind Katy. "I'm gonna check some of your vitals if you don't mind."

_Mind? Yeah I mind, don't you dare touch me mole,_ thought the Joker. But the worry in Katy's eyes stopped him from protesting. He was fine, but if it would make her feel better to have him checked over he would do it. He didn't like mole-man though. The Joker was pretty sure that mole-man's unibrow was larger than the rest of his face. The Joker turned his attention to Katy so he didn't have to watch mole-man look him over like he was some sort of experiment.

He had a dream that Katy cared about him. In his dream, she had thanked him for saving the birds. And she told him that she knew that he couldn't feel empathy towards other people and that was why he did what he did. She even told him that she understood. But the best part of his dream was her telling him she needed him. She didn't want him to leave her.

Leave her? Was she ridiculous? Crazier than him, that was for sure. How could he ever leave her again? Even though he hated it, he was trapped and entranced by her. From squirrels to birds to himself, she had always shown kindness. She had volunteered her own life to save that man in the cafe. Someone as selfless as her shouldn't be around such a selfish guy like him. He was probably poison to her. Unfortunately, it was that selfishness that caused him to be unable to let her go. He was confused as to why she was showing him kindness. But perhaps that was just who she was. Kind to everyone no matter how despicable.

"Everything looks good to me," said mole-man interrupting the Joker's thought. Joker hated being interrupted. TIme for mole-man to go. He yanked the hospital machines from his body and stood up. He was irritated when he felt dizzy and almost fell over again. But his irritation melted away when he realized that the protecting arm that had held him upright was Katy's. He looked at her, confused but didn't comment. Instead he reached for his gun and pointed it at mole-man. He was gonna shoot that unibrow apart for him. He'd be doing him a favor, really.

He was stopped when Katy's grip tightened and she yelled out: "NO! He saved your life." Joker didn't care about that but then Katy went on: "And mine. Please don't!" The Joker decided that she was right and he couldn't shoot a man who had saved her life. No matter how annoying he was.

"Let's go," he told his men who obediently followed him. He briefly wondered how he was going to get them home but was distracted by a light pressure on his arm. Since grabbing onto his arm to steady him, Katy hadn't let go. The simple contact sent ripples up and down his entire body.

When they stepped outside, he was still debating whether or not to put is hand on top of hers that was laced through his arm. He looked up at that moment, however, and saw a bus.

The Joker hated to admit it, but he was impressed by his men. They had planned a perfect escape. He got on first and went to sit in the driver's seat but Seth gave him a look and Joker realized it was not the best idea for him to drive right then. At least not with Katy in the bus where she could get hurt. So he sighed and took a seat in the first row. He wondered if she was coming with them because of free will or because she thought she had to. She had to know by now that she was free. If she wanted to leave she could. He wouldn't stop her. But of course, why would she know that? He hadn't told her this. He decided to withhold this information from her so he could keep her as long as he could.

He was shocked when she sat down next to him. She didn't appear to consider it; it just seemed natural for her. She did, however, put some distance between them. Joker wasn't going to force her to sit on his lap or anything, so he just turned to face the front. It hurt though, that distance. That small space she left said it all. She didn't feel like she had free will. She probably was just being nice to him because she was afraid of him. The Joker longed for her to look at him again the way she had in the hospital. Or the way she had when he was Jack. He didn't even notice when a tear rolled down his cheek.

Joker was thrown from his daydream suddenly when Katy grabbed his hand. She looked at him with shock and excitement in her eyes. "Jack...?" she asked slowly raising an eyebrow. From the way his face must have changed, Katy must have realized her suspicions were correct. Because her eyes got wider and she gasped. They were both so lost in each other's eyes that it took them a minute to realize that the bus had stopped and everyone else had gotten off.

**Thank you so much for sticking with me this week while I've had my finals. They are finally over (thank goodness) and I can focus more on writing this story. I hope you liked this chapter! **


	10. Chapter 10: Catching Up

**First off, I would like to acknowledge tomieharley's review. I am such an idiot; I somehow managed to kill Trevor in chapter 2 and bring him back to life in chapter 5. I wanted to think up some creative way to make this happen, but nothing came to mind, so I am just going to go back fix it. I'm going to changed chapter 2 just a bit, but it won't affect the rest of the plot. The only change will be the Joker didn't kill Trevor. I really can't believe I did that. Thank you so much tomieharley! Next, thank you Rasha007 and Leslie Lili for your reviews; they are always very helpful! Finally, this will probably be the longest you ever have to wait for a new chapter, and I apologize for that. Thanks for your patience!**

Katy was the first to speak. "It is you, Jack. I see it now, I should have seen it earlier..."

The Joker didn't know how to respond. He didn't remember how to be Jack anymore. Jack had died a long time ago. Or so he thought. Ever since Katy had come back into his life, Jack seemed to creep up behind him. It wasn't that he was literally a different person of course. Jack was the Joker and the Joker was Jack. But they seemed like two different people. Jack was more in control and more willing to be a part of society. When he gave up that identity to become the Joker, he had given up that whole life. He gave into his instincts to kill, hurt, and to abandon guilt.

"You remember me," he finally said.

"Yes, why didn't you say something sooner? You had to know it was you I was talking about you the other day. After my dream."

"I don't know. I guess I didn't want you to know what I had become. You're the only person I really cared to make a good impression on. I thought if you knew..." Joker looked unsure.

Katy was shocked. She couldn't believe after all these years she had finally found Jack. After that first day they met, she thought she would never see him again. But the next day, they happened to run into each other again. Although at the time she had thought it was a coincidence, later she wondered if he had found her on purpose. The next day they ran into each other again and it had become a regular thing. They would meet at the place where they first met and spend the day together. Katy helped Jack get a job and a place to stay, and Jack helped Katy make it through even the worst times with her dad. He was always a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen to her vent.

Katy spoke to Joker: "I can't say I am happy with everything you've done. But I know it's not your fault, Jack. I know you. Although I don't want people to get hurt, I also don't want you to change. I lo... like you. For you."

The Joker breathed a sigh of relief at her words. He had not expected her to say anything like that. Not at all. He hated being a disappointment to her, hated that he hurt her by hurting others. But at least she wasn't turning her back on him.

The Joker suddenly remembered a question he had for Katy. "About the other night Katy," he paused to let the feeling of saying her name as Jack again sink in. "When you woke up from that dream. You called me Jack." The Joker paused as he struggled internally about whether or not to ask his question. He decided to ask so it wouldn't keep bothering him. "Do you dream about me a lot? Or Jack I guess?"

Katy looked at him straight in the eyes, the intensity in her eyes causing the Joker's heart to pound. "Yes," she said quietly yet still with conviction. "All the time."

Footsteps broke their eye contact and the Joker threw himself back from her, slamming himself into the window. When had he become so close to her? He didn't remember leaning in but when one of his men entered the bus bringing him back to reality, he realized his face was inches from hers and their bodies were as close as they could be on the bus seat without touching. They both looked up at the intruder: Seth.

"You want me to take the bus back boss?"

The Joker didn't say anything for a while, he just gave Seth a look that made him fear for his life. Then the Joker realized that Seth was right. The bus being here would give away the location of their hideout. And he wasn't about to go to jail. Not right after Katy just found out who he was. He didn't want his men to know about his past with Katy, they might realize he had a weakness and use that to their advantage. And that wouldn't be bad for just him; Katy wasn't safe, not when she could be used to get to him. So he stood up and grabbed her arm trying to make it look rough without actually hurting her. He pulled her up off the seat and pushed her out the bus, holding on so she wouldn't fall. "Get it out of here," he told Seth then headed towards the warehouse with an upset Katy in tow. But as they reached the entrance, instead of going in the doors he pulled her to a secluded area on the side of the building. Joker knew no one could see them here unless they came looking.

He pushed Katy up against the wall and stepped in. Katy's anger at being yanked around quickly disappear as new distractions took its place.

**I couldn't decide if I wanted to keep saying the Joker or start calling him Jack. I think I'm going to settle on calling him Joker unless it is a flashback or it is in Katy's dialogue. I hope you liked this ****chapter! I'll update soon, probably by the end of today because I feel so bad about the wait.**


	11. Chapter 11: Long Awaited Kiss

The Joker had pushed Katy up against the wall of the warehouse and was close enough that one small step forward and their bodies would be pressed together. Katy's breath hitched in her throat and she wanted to grab Jack and pull him in. But she just stood there watching, and waiting to see what he was planning on doing. The Joker was silent for a while, just looking at her with his hands on the wall, pinning her head in place.

"You were never just a friend to me, Katy. You were more back then and you are more now. And if you don't feel the same way or if you can't love the Joker, then stop me now. Because I am going to kiss you Katy Ellis, and once I do there is no going back. Either you stay with me or leave forever. I can't keep you here as a hostage anymore."

Katy had a choice. She was free. She could go home and continue her job. She knew that was a good idea, the Joker was a dangerous man. Even though she knew Jack, she didn't really know him as the Joker. He was not a good person and she didn't want to be with someone who hurts others. But when she looked into his eyes it wasn't the Joker she saw, it was Jack. Even with all his makeup and his scars, he was beautiful to her. And she couldn't help it. She loved Jack. Always had. And she couldn't bring herself to stop him when he leaned in.

The Joker hesitated just before their lips touched. "Are you sure?" he worked up the strength to ask even though he was shaking with need. After years of wanting her and these past few weeks knowing she was sleeping in just the other room was causing him to lose control. He wanted to be careful because he didn't want to push her too far and make her uncomfortable. But his whole body was shaking. begging him to crush his body against hers making her his in every way. He held back waiting for her answer.

Katy didn't want to wait any longer. She had to know what he felt like, what he tasted like. Instead of answering she grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him in. The first kiss was soft, a bit unsure. But when they both felt the intensity in that soft kiss, they lost themselves in the passion. As the kisses got deeper and deeper, they both fought to catch their breath as quickly as possible so they could touch lips as much as possible.

Katy's hand tangled into the Joker's mangled hair and pulled him in as close as she could. As she did so, the Joker's arms enveloped her, pulling her in at the waist so that their bodies were completely molding together. Katy's whole body filled with warmth that started where Joker's lips were caressing her own. She briefly worried that she wasn't going to be able to stand for much longer when the Joker, as if he could read her mind, reached his arms down and lifted her so she was pressed between the wall and his body with her legs wrapped around him.

Joker couldn't stop kissing her. He couldn't get enough of her, the feel of her lips against his own, the smell of her hair, and the feeling of her small, yet strong body wrapped in his arms. She tightened her legs as if she was trying to pull him right into her and he wanted that more than anything. He didn't want even the smallest bit of air separating them. He wanted to rip her clothes off and touch every inch of her skin...

It was too much. If he wasn't careful he was going to take her right there against the wall. And that was not how he wanted their first time to go. She was too special. Anyone could turn the corner and see. It wasn't fair to her. It was these thoughts for her that gave him the strength to pull away. He thought it would be best to let go completely to remove all temptation, but he kept an arm around her when he placed her gently on the ground to keep her upright.

Katy took a moment to come to her senses. She had been so lost in his touch. Where had his warmth gone? She reached out to pull him back, but the Joker gently pushed her hands away with a low chuckle.

"Don't worry, I feel it to," he told her. "But we can't do this. Not here. Not outside against a dirty wall."

Katy was disappointed but realized he was right. Her eyes finally opened and she looked at him. His hair was even more tangled than before if that was possible, and his makeup was smudged all over the place. She probably didn't look much different.

Joker couldn't resist, he reached a hand out and stroked her cheek softly. "You're beautiful," he whispered. He then stepped away looking sad and left her.

Katy realized what he was doing. He was giving her a choice. She was free to go. She could just leave and she knew in her heart he wouldn't follow her. He wouldn't force her to choose him. He was giving her freedom even though she could just go straight to a police office and turn him in right then.

**Thanks for sticking with this story! I hope this chapter was ok, I was really worried about writing this scene. Any suggestions are welcome!**


	12. Chapter 12: The Chase

She looked out at the street and smiled to herself. It wasn't a choice really. It was too late now. Katy was too drawn in, the intensity of her feelings were too strong. There was no way she could leave him. Not now. So she took a big breath and followed him inside. He was in the large room on the other side. When she opened the door and entered, he looked up with a mix of shock, relief, and joy in his face. She smiled softly at him and headed towards her room, no longer her prison. She had made her choice.

Over the next week, Katy became very comfortable in the warehouse. The Joker's men saw the change in the way he treated her and so they felt more comfortable treating her as a guest rather than a prisoner. The Joker would spend the day out "working" and the evenings in Katy's room. They talked for hours and hours, often straight into the next morning. He would act almost normal when they were alone. However, as soon as he left her room he instantly went back to his old behaviors and attitudes. Yet something had changed. The Joker was a bit disturbed to see her influence on him, as he had not killed anyone in that week. It wasn't as if he wasn't tempted. He honestly did not care about the people he stole from, or even any of his own men. But Katy's face always flashed before him whenever he went to hurt someone and stopped himself. He was beginning to worry that the men would see it as a weakness.

While Katy had enjoyed her time at the warehouse, she became increasingly restless. She knew she could leave at any point, but the thought of the Joker held her back. If people were out looking for her and they found her roaming the streets of Gotham they might report it to the police. Then she could never go back to the Joker because the police might follow her to the location.

One day, just as it almost became too much for Katy to spend another day at the warehouse, some of the Joker's men came into her room and quickly threw her some bags.

"Pack up," one said gruffly. "We think the police have been tipped off about our location and we need to move now."

Katy sat still for a moment after the men left and then frantically started throwing her belongings into the bags. She grabbed them and dashed out of her room. She ran straight into the Joker.

"Oh good, you heard. We're moving. Come with me. You're in my car. The Joker took Katy's bags and led her outside. He put them in the trunk of one of the cars and opened the passenger door for her. She slid into the seat and buckled up. The rest of the Joker's men filed into the cars and they took off.

As soon as they left the warehouse, however, a police car started following them. Then another came, and another, and another. They were completely surrounded. The Joker's men grabbed guns and shot at the police cars out the windows of their own cars. Katy covered her eyes with her hands after watching a policeman driver get shot in the head and fall onto the steering wheel. His car swerved to the right slightly and slammed into another police car. Both spun out and an explosion followed as one of them flipped over. Katy started shaking and crying, hoping that her car wouldn't get hit or shot at. She did not like watching the police die either, but at the moment she was more concerned that they seemed to decide that being shot at was a good excuse to pull out their own guns as well. It suddenly became a mass of cars, flying bullets, and screams. It was too much for Katy and she covered her face with her hands and tried to bury herself in them.

The Joker was completely in the zone. Driving, shooting, pulling out the bombs and grenades even. He was cackling every time he hit another car. Except then he remembered his passenger and was horrified to look over and see her crying silently beside him. Her hands were covering her face but from what he could see she was paler than him, even with all his white makeup on. Suddenly he realized he was going to lose her. No matter what he did, he was going to lose her.

If he continued to try to escape the police, he could probably succeed. His men had gotten out of tighter situations than this. But Katy was beginning to show signs of another attack and he didn't know how long it would be before he could get her help or, if she needed it, medical attention. He could hear her beginning to gasp for air.

If he stopped and tried to help her now, he was caught. He would end up back in jail, and would probably never see her again. Either way he would lose her. So he decided that there really was no decision. No matter what happened, he was lost so he had to make the decision that could save her. He stopped the car as quickly as he could without slamming on the breaks and reached over to Katy. He paid no attention to the police cars surrounding him and his men in the back seat yelling at him to drive. All he focused on was the woman beside him who seemed unaware that they had stopped.

"Katy," he spoke her name as he reached for her hands. She didn't budge from her position. He gently tried to pull her hands from her face. "Katy we stopped. It's ok. Look at me Katy."

He managed to remove her hands and saw just how pale she was. Her eyes were still squeezed tightly shut. He tried to think of a way to distract her. "Remember when I told you I used to play the piano. Have I ever told you why I started playing the cello? I can't remember my life before you, did you know that? I only have memories from the time we spent together on. It was only after I knew you I decided to learn how to play an instrument."

As he was talking the police were using a megaphone to tell the men to drop their weapons and step out of the car with their hands up. The Joker's men realized they had lost and complied with the police's request. The Joker paid no mind to the police though and continued what he was doing. Katy had opened her eyes and was staring at him. She moved her hands to grab onto his coat and cling onto it trying to hold herself together.

"It took me away from the grief I had of losing you. But it eventually became too much because it only reminded me of you. When I stopped playing that's when all this," he gestured to himself to indicated the madness "set it." The Joker then removed his gloves put his hands back on Katy's arms and rubbed them gently. Katy focused on the movement of his hands up and down her arm, feeling the contact of their skin and nothing else. Her panic attack subsided and she took in a deep, shaky breath. She took in her surroundings for the first time and gripped the Joker's coat even tighter. Katy pulled her face into his chest hoping she could absorb right into him because she realized what was happening and what was about to happen. She was going to lose him.


	13. Chapter 13: Police Questions

**Thank you again for the reviews! You guys don't have to worry, this story is not over yet! ;)**

A banging on the door caused Katy to look up from the safety of the Joker's arms and at the window. A police man yelled in: "We are giving you ten seconds to exit the vehicle or we'll pull you out by force!"

"Oh Jack, I'm so sorry." Katy began to sob.

"Shhhh," the Joker soothed her as he pulled her into him one last time. "I'm not."

"What?" Katy sniffed.

"I'm not sorry. Not for any of this. I would go to jail or get shot a thousand times and never regret having you. We don't have much time and I wanted this to be special. But I need you to know that I love you. I love you Katy Ellis and no matter what happens, I want you to be happy."

Katy was about to respond but there ten seconds were up and the police forced the door open and dragged the Joker away from Katy.

"NO!" she shouted and scrambled to get out of the car. He was being taken from her. Ripped away and her heart was being ripped away along with him. She wasn't ready for that. As the Joker was thrown on the ground and handcuffs were placed on him she tried to lunge for him but an officer grabbed her from behind and held her back. She was screaming uncontrollably and trying frantically to escape his strong grasp and get back to the Joker. Joker was yanked up off the ground and dragged to a nearby cop car. He turned around to meet Katy's eyes and tried to yell something at her, but it was drowned out by her screams. She managed to throw her head back and knock the officer square in the nose. He dropped her and she launched herself at the Joker. Katy threw herself at him and wrapped her legs around him and her arms around his neck sobbing into his shoulder.

"Don't go Jack," she moaned. "Please please, don't leave me again."

The Joker's heart broke at the words. He felt a quiet fury at being forced to leave her, to hurt her in such a deep way. He felt an incredible sadness and having to leave her, maybe never see her again. He felt hopeless and helpless because everything was out of his control right now and he was used to being in control of every situation.

He screamed in fury as he felt her being ripped away from him. "LEAVE HER ALONE," he yelled desperate to get their filthy hands off her. But he was forced into the police car and locked in. The last thing he saw as he drove away was her look of desperation at him, tears flying down her face, as she was shoved onto the ground and given a shot into her back. "NOOO!" he yelled as he watched her struggle for a bit and then lay still. What was that? What did they give her? What did they do to her?

As Katy felt herself losing consciousness she said, "I love you," before slipping into the darkness.

When she woke up, she found herself in a bed surrounded by officers. She heard whispering and tried to make out what they were saying but it was difficult to tell at first. After a moment her ears began to work properly again.

"She's waking up." "That's good, let's get this over with." "Give her a minute, she's probably in shock." "The faster we can question her the faster we can leave her alone." "Hey everyone, just be quiet for a sec and let her process where she is." "Hey Katy. Can you hear me? Nod if you can understand." Katy nodded and opened her eyes.

"Good. I'm Officer Franklin. You are in an urgent care center in Gotham. Do you think you can speak?"

"Yes," Katy rasped.

"Very good. Can you state your full name?"

"Katy Ellis."

"Good. And how old are you?"

"Twenty-five."

"And do you remember why you are here? What is the last thing you remember?"

Katy thought for a minute and then felt her chest tighten. He was gone. She was alone. "There was a car chase. And lots of officers. And then an officer killed me."

"An officer killed you?"

"Yes. I remember being on the ground. And then he gave me a shot. And then I died."

"You didn't die," said Officer Franklin. "The shot was to subdue you so you wouldn't hurt yourself."

"I don't need to hurt myself. I already hurt."

"Where does it hurt?"

"Everywhere. Where's Jack?"

The officer looked confused. "Jack?"

"I mean the Joker. Where is he?"

"He's in jail, you don't have to worry about him anymore. That's what we're..." he stopped as Katy began to moan.

"No, no! You don't understand. You gotta let him go. Please. Let me see him. Take me to him," she gasped out and tried to sit up.

Officer Franklin gently pushed her back down. "You need to rest Katy. We can talk more tomorrow."

Tears fell down Katy's face when the police officers left her room. She then saw a nurse, who she hadn't noticed before, turn to face her. She put her finger to her lips, which were covered by a mask, and then removed it to reveal a man. Not just a man but Seth! Katy gasped in surprise, but obediently did not speak. A knock on the door caused Seth to put the mask back over his face and leave a note tucked under Katy's mattress. "Come in," she called.

A doctor entered and Seth started to leave when the doctor called out to him. "Hold up," Katy held her breath. "Can you give this to Doctor Marshall?"

Seth took a note from the doctor, nodded, and left the room. Katy let out her breath.

"Hi Katy. I'm Doctor Powell. How are you feeling?"

Twenty long minutes later, the doctor left having finished his examination. He told Katy he was just going to get some paperwork and then she was free to go. As soon as he left the room, she reached under her mattress and pulled out the note.

_Meet me at the West Bridge at 11:00PM tomorrow night. _

Katy's heart pounded. Maybe Seth knew something about the Joker. Maybe he knew of a way she could see him. It was all she could do to force herself to stay in bed instead of jumping up and flying down the hallways to look for Seth. She couldn't give anyone any reason for suspicion. So she stayed put until two hours later when she was finally free and leaving the hospital. She was instructed to come in for questioning the next day at the station.

Katy left the hospital and then hesitated. How long had it been since she was in her apartment? What if she didn't have one anymore because she hadn't paid rent in a while? She decided she may as well go check and if it wasn't her apartment anymore she would just grab a hotel room.

Luckily when she got there, her key was still on top of the door. She did have lots of rent notices in her mail, but she still had the place. She set the mail down on the counter and got ready for bed.

That night Katy could not sleep. She kept tossing and turning, but her mind would not quiet down. Finally she decided just to get up, make herself a cup of tea, pay the bills, and try to read.

Katy separated the bills from the mail and put the mail aside to read later. After paying the bills, she picked up her book only to find herself reading the same sentence over and over. She set the book down and rolled over trying to get comfortable in her bed. After three more hours of flopping around, the sun finally rose. Katy hadn't slept a wink.

She got up, got dressed, and headed straight to the police station. It was probably a stretch, but she was hoping that she would be able to see the Joker.

When Katy walked in, she looked around and saw a receptionist with curly blond hair in a large bun and pink french manicured nails. Katy walked over and signed in on the paper. When the receptionist saw her name, Katy received a look of pity and a small pat on the hand, which she hated. But she managed to smile at the receptionist and inquire when visiting hours were at the jail.

"They are from 3PM to 8PM sweetums. Do you have family you want to visit?" Her voice was high-pitched and squeaky.

"No, a friend. How would I go about getting permission?" Katy asked.

"You can fill out this form here luv. But aren't you here to answer some questions?"

"Well yes, but I also want to visit someone."

"Alright, well here ya go. You'll be called in when they are ready to speak to you." the receptionist gave Katy a funny look, but handed her the visitation form.

Katy went and sat in a chair in the corner and began to fill out the visitation request form. Under relationship to inmate she hesitated for a second before putting _friend_. But she really paused on reason for visit. What could she write on that? That seemed like a ridiculous question. She wanted to visit him to see him. She wondered if visitation rights were denied often. What if they said no? She wanted to come up with a good answer that they couldn't say no to.

_I want to ask him some questions that I need answers to in order to move on with my life, _she wrote.

That was not true at all, if fact she didn't really plan on moving on, but it seemed like a good reason to her. She stood up, handed the squeaky voiced receptionist the form and was about to take her seat again when a door opened and the officer from the hospital called her name.

"Katy Ellis?"

"Yes."

"Right this way," he led her into the main station and then into a small office. Katy looked around hoping that for some reason the Joker would be there, for questioning perhaps, but to her disappointment she didn't see him.

Inside the office, she sat down on a wooden chair and Officer Franklin sat in an extremely comfortable arm chair behind his desk. He leaned back into it and looked Katy over, making her uncomfortable. Officer Franklin cleared his throat and leaned forward, clasping his hands together.

"How are you feeling, Katy?"

"Fine," she replied.

"Good, good. I want you to know that if at any point during this conversation, you get too uncomfortable or emotional with the memories I'll be bringing up, we can take a break. I'm here to help."

"I'm fine," Katy repeated.

"Alright. Then let's begin with some simple questions. Do you remember where you were the day the Joker," Officer Franklin paused for a moment before deciding to just be straightforward, "kidnapped you?"

Katy was upset that he claimed she kidnapped her without even bothering to find out the truth, but then realized he was right. The Joker HAD kidnapped her. It was actually kind of funny now that she thought about it, but she decided laughing probably wasn't the best idea. Officer Franklin may think she had gone insane. So she decided to just answer his questions as objectively as she could.

"Yes, I was at the Precious Brews Cafe."

"What were you doing there?"

"Writing a proposal for the city council to study the decline of the birds in the area."

Officer Franklin looked surprised. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out for a second, instead he just looked confused. After a moment he looked at her, "You were writing that proposal?"

"Yes..." Katy said.

"So why..." Officer Franklin looked like he forgot Katy was in the room for a second. Suddenly he seemed to remember and looked up at her again. "Are you aware that the proposal was passed Ms. Ellis? The Joker proposed it himself to the council and they just passed it."

Katy's eyes filled with tears. She didn't speak for a moment. "No. I was not aware of that. I knew he proposed it to the council, but I didn't know they had passed it." She had a faraway look in her eyes.

"Can you explain to me why the Joker did that? He doesn't seem to be the kind of man to care about the fate of the birds." the officer chuckled to himself. This angered Katy.

"You don't know him!" she yelled. "You don't know what he does or doesn't care about!"

The Officer's eyes widened at Katy's outburst. She quickly calmed herself, afraid she may have just ruined her chances of getting to visit the Joker.

"I'm sorry. It's just he did that because he wanted to. He is not a good person, I know that. And he has done lots of terrible things, which are not ok. But he has the potential to be better. I know it seems crazy, but there is goodness in him. It doesn't excuse his actions, but he deserves some credibility. Just like you can't ignore it when a good person speeds, you shouldn't pretend like a bad person never does anything good."

Officer Franklin didn't know what to say. He decided that carrying on with the interview would probably be best.

"I apologize Ms. Ellis. You're right. What he did for the... birds, that was a kind thing to do. Perhaps it's best we just continue on with the interview?"

Katy wasn't convinced he truly believed what he said; he gave her a funny look when he claimed that the Joker did what he did for the birds. But she simply nodded and waited for the next question.

"Can you tell me what you remember from that day?" Officer Franklin asked.

"I was at the cafe to write my report when the Joker and his men walked in. They were shooting, but just at the air. They were all wearing clown masks and had guns. At the time, I was terrified of clowns." Katy smiled to herself remembering. Officer Franklin looked like he wanted to say something, but kept quiet. "One of the clown-men pulled off his mask and I think he asked for food. That was the Joker." She decided to tell the rest of the story without leaving too much out because other witnesses were there and the police probably knew what happened anyways. "He held his gun to Trevor, one of the waiter's, head and said something, but can't remember what. Trevor left to the back room. The Joker grabbed one of the customers, I don't know who he was, and threatened to kill him unless someone took his place. So I volunteered and the Joker decided to take me with him instead of killing me. He spared my life," she threw that in at the end in the hopes of making the Joker look less bad.

The Officer pondered over this for a moment. "Why did you take that man's place?"

"I was thinking maybe he had children. I'm not married, nor do I have children. So it just didn't seem fair for me to just allow him to die."

"What happened when he took you?"

"To be perfectly honest, I don't quite remember. I suffer from panic disorder and was having a panic attack just then. I do remember the Joker helping me calm down. He told me a story about when he was a child until I got through it. He was really very kind."

Officer Franklin looked even more surprised at this. Katy had a heavy heart as she remembered everything the Joker had done for her. She realized how he had always cared for her. Despite all his flaws, he was never once cruel to her. That was more than she could say for her own father even. How can someone hurt so many people, yet treat her better than her own father did? She still struggled to come to terms with all the things he had done, but she knew she could trust him not to hurt her.

"Where did he take you after that incident?" Officer Franklin's question pulled her back to the present.

"A warehouse," Katy replied. There was no point in hiding that information anymore. "I'm not entirely sure where it was."

"And what did he do with you there?"

The questions went on and on. Katy kept trying to answer them without getting frustrated. Officer Franklin kept working his questions as if he already assumed that the Joker had hurt her. It finally became too much for Katy.

"He never hurt me. Not once." Katy said. She had already decided not to tell Officer Franklin about their relationship. But she couldn't go on pretending like she hated him. "I'm not excusing his behavior towards other people. And yes, he did hold me against my will for a while, but he was never abusive to me. If anything, he actually helped me. Like with the birds. And you know he surrendered himself for me? He didn't want me to get hurt in the car chase. That's why he stopped."

Officer Franklin didn't know how to process that information. It seemed as if the Joker actually cared about Katy. But in all his years of studying the Joker and trying to capture him, Officer Franklin had not once seen evidence that the Joker had a heart or cared about anything other than himself.

"Thank you for meeting with me Ms. Ellis. I will let you know if I have any more questions. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No thank... wait. Actually there is one thing. I put in a request to visit the Joker. I was hoping you would sign it. I gave it to the receptionist."

Officer Franklin looked concerned. "I'm not sure that's a good idea Ms. Ellis. I didn't want to bring up a delicate topic, but it seems as if the Joker has some sort of influence over you. I'm worried that you may end up hurt if you try to talk to him. He is a very manipulative man."

Katy took a calming breath. "I just have some questions for him. It seems fair that I should get some answers for what happened to me. And I would like to hear it directly from the source."

Officer Franklin pondered for a moment.

Katy suddenly had an idea. "I was hoping to write a book. I read somewhere that after a traumatic experience, gaining control over your life and sharing your experience with others is a healing process. I think writing about what happened to me may help me move on. But I have a lot of questions I would need answered to be able to write it."

Officer Franklin replied: "That actually does sound like a good idea. Yes, I believe I read that same article you did somewhere. Alright, I'll go sign it. You can come visit tomorrow."

Katy almost laughed when she heard him completely fall for her made up story. Her heart pounded with excitement. She would get to see the Joker! Tomorrow! She forced herself to calmly smile, shake Officer Franklin's hand, and thank him for his time.

Katy was so excited that when she stepped out of the office, she almost didn't see someone being led into the main area of the station. She looked up and was shocked to see the Joker: handcuffed and surrounded by officers. He had no makeup on, but his face was extremely pale anyways. However, just as she saw him, he looked up and saw her too. His face showed relief and joy at seeing she was ok. She wanted to walk over, but Officer Franklin said he needed to question the Joker now, and she could talk to him tomorrow. The officer didn't miss the look of longing and affection on the Joker's face, luckily he missed it in Katy's.

When Katy and the Joker passed each other on the way out she mouthed the word "tomorrow" to him. His eyes lit up in understanding and he practically bounded into the nearby interrogation room where he was being led. Before they shut the door on him, he looked over one more time at Katy with such an intense look she stopped breathing. Even after she couldn't see him anymore, she stood there watching the door. Finally she left the building and went home, happy because she would get to actually talk to him tomorrow. Then she remembered about her meeting with Seth that night. The anticipation was strong, but as soon as she arrived home she crashed in her bed, exhausted. The only face that was in her dreams during her nap was that of the Joker with his eyes shining when he had seen her that day.

**Thank you for your patience, this was a longer chapter than I usually write. **


End file.
